River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1887-11-03

cess. tie won his way ~ sheer au.
dacity. What he did inspired corii-
dence which enabled him to do other
things which. without such confidence,
would have been impossible. But
brilliancy like his is always Ineteoric.
Temporary success is followed by
sad and hopeless reaction. Even If
that young man coEid be released from
prison. he could accomplish nothing
now. He went up like a rocket and
came down like the stick.
Gabriel Grimes was the most elo-
quent of our young preachers forty
years ago. Before he left the semi
nary he captivated one of the best con-
gregations in an Eastern city.
His success there soon Sc
cured him call TO metro
politan church But his rise was so
rapid that he became dizzy. He was
like the man who went up in balloon
but could not control it, That brilliant
young preacher has been sad wreck,
both intellectually and morally. for the
lifetime of generation. When Inject
him with his haggard face / think
there are few things more perilous
in this world than success.
There is'a sense in which success sue
ceeds. All progress is by successive
steps, aud the more we are able to take
Of those steps the nearer we are to the
goal. The man who by patient in
dustry has accomplished something of
value to the world, will be more likely
to do another and better thing than
if his first attempt had been a failure.
But the world does not apply its favor
lite proverb to the plodders. 1t
means that he who makes
grand strike shows thereby that
he is a lucky man. that he $
born under a fortunate ar. and will
be likely to win wealth and fame.
This idea is ath istic. If there is
jGs and holy God who governs the
world, He can not have special favor
ties. He must treat his creatures inn
partially. He will not heap up His
good gifts mon n few, but distribute
them To all. Hence the inference
should be that whoever is specially
successful now will not be so to-nor-
row. The wheel will turn, and they
who are on the top VIII go down, and
those who are down will come up. LIB
expressed the theisiic idea of life when
he said: Shall we receive good at the
hand Of the Lord, and shall we not re-
ceive evil also?' We ought to be will
ing and expect to take our tura-to
have our proportion of burdens and
disappointments And when we sue
coed II time, ms cad of becoming
rroud and self-cOnfident, we should
be humble and prepared for adversely.
| asked man who had wrecked his
prospects in life by dishonest specula-
tions. what started him on such ca
reer. His reply was: "When mere
boy, | saved my pocket-m money and
bought lottery ticket. 1t won prize.
was lucky. despised honest. patient
industry. and determined to get rich
by my wits. | became gambler in
stocks, / sailed mines / learned all
the tricks by which values are manip-
ulatcd. | have made millions of
money, but / have lost it al. The
worst thing that can happen to a
young man is to win the first game of
cards that he plays for money. or his
first bet on a horse-race, or prize on
his first lottery ticket"
There is something to be sought and
secured in this life hat is worth a great
deal more than what the world calls
success. It's pace Of conscience. 1t
is the feeling that we have tried to do
our duty and to please our Heavenly
Father. This we can have in OBSCURE
" and in poverty God is often served
best by those who have the least OF
worldly good. This example of cheer
fulness and fidelity amid privations
and disappOintments reminds all who
see them # the power of faith and Of
the blesseduess of hope that is full OF
Immortality and eternal life. Iwould
not discourage any one who wants to
succeed in any honorable calling. II
is our duty to ourselves and TO God 10 /
do the best we can. But l want to
warn my readers, especially those whc
are young, against seeking success foI /
its own sake and as the beginning Of /
n selfish career. Such success is toe (
often like the rainbow bubble-wheu .
it is largest and brightest it is just |
ready to burst Obadiah O,dSckooi, IN /
Chicago Interior.